Location change reporting method, device, and system

ABSTRACT

In a location change reporting method, a session management function entity receives from a mobility management entity information including location change information of user equipment (UE) in a first presence reporting area (PRA), an identity of the first PRA, and an identity of a PRA set that includes the first PRA. The session management function entity identifies, based on the identity of the PRA set and locally stored PRA subscription information, a subscription entity that subscribes to location change events of the UE in the PRA set, and sends the identity of the first PRA and the location change information of the UE in the first PRA to the subscription entity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/675,998 filed on Nov. 6, 2019, which is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/394,271 filed on Apr. 25, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,499,240, which is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2017/102963 filed on Sep. 22, 2017, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201610934258.8 filed on Oct. 31, 2016. All of the aforementioned patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a location change reporting method, device, and system.

BACKGROUND

As communication services are diversified, an operator may have a specific charging or control policy for a specific area. Currently, the policy is implemented by presence reporting area (PRA) characteristics in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard.

Specifically, when a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) or an online charging system (OCS) needs to sense a location change status of user equipment (UE) in a PRA such as a status of entering or leaving the PRA by the UE, the PCRF or the OCS subscribes with a packet data network (PDN) gateway (PGW) to a location change event of the UE in the PRA. When subscribing to the location change event of the UE in the PRA, the PCRF or the OCS delivers, for a multi-PRA scenario, an identity of a PRA set of all PRAs to the PGW. When receiving subscription information carrying the identity of the PRA set, the PGW continues to deliver the identity of the PRA set to a mobility management entity (MIME) or a serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), to instruct the MME or the SGSN to monitor a location change status of the UE in the PRA and report a location change event of the UE in the PRA to the PCRF or the OCS when a location of the UE in the PRA changes. The PCRF or the OCS performs a new policy or charging adjustment based on the location change event in the PRA.

However, in other approaches, when the MME or the SGSN reports the location change event of the UE in the PRA, only an identity of the PRA is carried, and a correspondence between the identity of the PRA set and the identity of the PRA is not configured in the PGW. Consequently, the MME or the SGSN cannot decide how to report the location change event in the PRA to the PCRF or the OCS.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present application provide a location change reporting method, device, and system, to resolve at least an existing problem that a session management function entity cannot decide how to report a location change event of UE in a PRA to a subscription entity because the location change event of the UE in the PRA that is reported by a MME carries only an identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRA set is used to subscribe to the location change event of the UE in the PRA in a multi-PRA scenario.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions.

According to a first aspect, a location change reporting method is provided, including receiving, by a session management function entity, location change information of UE in a PRA, an identity of the PRA, and an identity of a PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs that are sent by a MME, where the location change information of the UE in the PRA includes information about entering or leaving the PRA by the UE, determining, by the session management function entity based on the identity of the PRA set and stored PRA subscription information, a subscription entity that subscribes to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, where the PRA subscription information includes the identity of the PRA set and an identity of the subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, and sending, by the session management function entity, the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA to the subscription entity. In other words, in this embodiment of the present application, the MME sends, to the session management function entity, the location change information in the PRA, the identity of the PRA, and the identity of the PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs, so that the session management function entity can determine, based on the identity of the PRA set, the subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, and further can send the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA to the subscription entity. This can resolve an existing problem that a session management function entity cannot decide how to report a location change event of UE in a PRA to a subscription entity because the location change event of the UE in the PRA that is reported by a MME carries only an identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRA set is used to subscribe to the location change event of the UE in the PRA in a multi-PRA scenario.

In a possible design, the method further includes receiving, by the session management function entity, a PRA subscription request sent by the subscription entity, where the PRA subscription request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used to request to subscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set corresponding to the identity of the PRA set, determining, by the session management function entity, the PRA subscription information based on the PRA subscription request and storing the PRA subscription information, and sending, by the session management function entity, a PRA location change notification request to the MME, where the PRA location change notification request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used to instruct the MIME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set corresponding to the identity of the PRA set. In other words, in this embodiment of the present application, the session management function entity may determine, based on the received PRA subscription request sent by the subscription entity, the PRA subscription information corresponding to the subscription entity and store the PRA subscription information, so that after subsequently receiving the identity of the PRA and the identity of the PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs that are sent by the MME, the session management function entity can determine, based on the subscription information, the subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set.

In a possible design, the subscription entity includes a PCRF entity or an OCS entity.

In a possible design, the MME includes an MME, an SGSN, or a mobility management function (MMF).

In a possible design, the session management function entity includes a PGW or a session management function (SMF).

According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a session management function entity, and the session management function entity has a function of implementing behavior of the session management function entity in the foregoing method embodiment. The function may be implemented by hardware or may be implemented by executing corresponding software by hardware. The hardware or the software includes one or more modules corresponding to the function.

According to a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a session management function entity, including a processor, a memory, a bus, and a communications interface, where the memory is configured to store a computer execution instruction, the processor is connected to the memory by using the bus, and when the session management function entity runs, the processor executes the computer execution instruction stored in the memory, so that the session management function entity performs the location change reporting method according to any design of the first aspect.

According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer storage medium, configured to store a computer software instruction used by the foregoing session management function entity, where the computer software instruction includes a program designed for the session management function entity to execute the foregoing aspects.

In addition, for a technical effect brought by any design manner of the second aspect to the fourth aspect, refer to the technical effects brought by the different design manners of the first aspect. Details are not described herein again.

According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a location change system, including an MME and the session management function entity according to any of the foregoing aspects.

These or other aspects of the present application are more concise and comprehensible in descriptions of the following embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following descriptions show merely some embodiments of the present application, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a network architectural diagram of a location change system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a location change method according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a session management function entity according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another session management function entity according to an embodiment of the present application.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are merely some rather than all of the embodiments of the present application.

In addition, in the descriptions of the present application, unless otherwise specified, “a plurality of” means two or more.

FIG. 1 is a network architectural diagram of a location change system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The location change system 100 includes a session management function entity 101, an MME 102, and a subscription entity 103. The subscription entity 103 is configured to subscribe with the MME 102 to a location change event of UE in a PRA. The session management function entity 101 is configured to instruct the MME 102 to perform PRA monitoring and PRA location change reporting and decide how to report to the subscription entity 103 after receiving location change information that indicates that the UE enters or leaves the PRA and that is sent by the MME 102. The MME 102 is configured to perform PRA monitoring and PRA location change reporting.

Specifically, the location change system 100 may be applied to an existing 2nd generation (2G) network, 3rd generation (3G) network, or 4th generation (4G) network, or may be applied to a future 5th generation (5G) network or another future network. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

A typical 2G network includes a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network or a GPRS network. A typical 3G network includes a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network. A typical 4G network includes a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network.

It can be understood that in different networks, network elements or entities corresponding to the session management function entity 101, the MME 102, and the subscription entity 103 may have different names. An example is as follows.

If the location communications system 100 is applied to the 2G network or the 3G network, a network element or an entity corresponding to the session management function entity 101 may be a PGW, a network element or an entity corresponding to the MME 102 may be an SGSN, and a network element or an entity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may be a PCRF or an OCS.

If the location communications system 100 is applied to the 4G network, a network element or an entity corresponding to the session management function entity 101 may be a PGW, a network element or an entity corresponding to the MME 102 may be an MME, and a network element or an entity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may be a PCRF or an OCS.

If the location communications system 100 is applied to the future 5G network, a network element or an entity corresponding to the session management function entity 101 may be an SMF entity, a network element or an entity corresponding to the MME 102 may be a MMF entity, and a network element or an entity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may be a policy function entity or an OCS.

However, the name is not intended to limit the entity. In the future 5G network and other future network, the network elements or the entities corresponding to the session management function entity 101, the MME 102, and the subscription entity 103 may alternatively have other names. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It can be understood that the network element or the entity corresponding to the session management function entity 101 may have another function in addition to a session management function, the network element or the entity corresponding to the MME 102 may have another function in addition to an MMF, and the network element or the entity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may have another function in addition to a subscription function. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It can be understood that the network elements or the entities corresponding to the session management function entity 101, the MME 102, and the subscription entity 103 may be implemented by one entity device or may be implemented jointly by a plurality of entity devices. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the session management function entity 101 in FIG. 1 may be implemented by a computer device (or a system) in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present application. The computer device 200 includes at least one processor 201, a communications bus 202, a memory 203, and at least one communications interface 204.

The processor 201 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling execution of a program in the solutions of the present application.

The communications bus 202 may include a path for transferring information between the foregoing components.

The communications interface 204 is configured to communicate, by using any apparatus such as a transceiver, with another device or a communications network such as Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN), or a wireless local area network (WLAN).

The memory 203 may be but is not limited to a read-only memory (ROM) or another type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, or a random-access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or may be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or another compact disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, a laser disc, an optical disc, a digital versatile disc, a BLU-RAY disc, or the like), a magnetic disk storage medium or another magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store expected program code in a form of an instruction or a data structure and that can be accessed by a computer. The memory may exist independently, and is connected to the processor by using the bus. The memory may alternatively be integrated with the processor.

The memory 203 is configured to store application program code for executing the solutions of the present application, and the processor 201 controls the execution. The processor 201 is configured to execute the application program code stored in the memory 203, to implement location change reporting.

During specific implementation, in an embodiment, the processor 201 may include one or more CPUs, for example, a CPU 0 and a CPU 1 in FIG. 2.

During specific implementation, in an embodiment, the computer device 200 may include a plurality of processors, for example, the processor 201 and a processor 208 in FIG. 2. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor, or may be a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and/or processing cores for processing data (for example, a computer program instruction).

During specific implementation, in an embodiment, the computer device 200 may further include an output device 205 and an input device 206. The output device 205 communicates with the processor 201, and may display information in a plurality of manners. For example, the output device 205 may be a liquid-crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 206 communicates with the processor 201, and may receive a user input in a plurality of manners. For example, the input device 206 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen device, or a sensor device.

The computer device 200 may be a general-purpose computer device or a dedicated computer device. During specific implementation, the computer device 200 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal device, a communications device, an embedded device, or a device with a structure similar to that in FIG. 2. A type of the computer device 200 is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a location change reporting method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method is described by using an example in which the location communications system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is applied to an existing 4G network, and relates to interaction between a PCRF, a PGW, a serving gateway (SGW), and an MME and interaction between an OCS, a PGW, an SGW, and an MME. The method includes steps S301 to S308. Steps S301 a to S304 a are a process in which the PCRF subscribes with the PGW to a location change event and delivers a PRA location change notification request. Steps S301 b to S304 b are a process in which the OCS subscribes with the PGW to a location change event and delivers a PRA location change notification request. Steps S305 to S308 are a PRA location change decision and reporting process.

Steps S301 a to S304 a are specifically as follows.

S301 a. Establish a policy control session between a PGW and a PCRF.

A process of establishing the policy control session between the PGW and the PCRF may be as follows.

The MME sends a create session request to the PGW by using the SGW, to trigger establishment of the policy control session between the PGW and the PCRF. After the session is established, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME by using the SGW. The process belongs to an existing procedure, and therefore details are not described herein in this embodiment of the present application.

S302 a. The PCRF sends a PRA subscription request 1 to the PGW, so that the PGW receives the PRA subscription request 1, where the PRA subscription request 1 carries an identity of a PRA set 1 and is used to request to subscribe to a location change event of UE in any PRA in the PRA set 1.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present application, subscribing to a location change event of UE in a PRA is specifically subscribing to a location change event of entering or leaving the PRA by the UE. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

It should be noted that a PRA subscription request sent by the PCRF to the PGW is marked as the PRA subscription request 1 herein, so that the PRA subscription request is distinguished from a PRA subscription request sent by the OCS to the PGW below. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

It should be noted that a PRA set in the PCRF is marked as the PRA set 1 herein, so that the PRA set is distinguished from a PRA set in the OCS below. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

S303 a. The PGW determines PRA subscription information 1 based on the PRA subscription request 1 and stores the PRA subscription information 1, where the PRA subscription information 1 includes the identity of the PRA set 1 and an identity of the PCRF.

The PCRF is a subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 1.

It should be noted that subscription information corresponding to the PCRF is marked as the PRA subscription information 1 herein, so that the subscription information is distinguished from subscription information corresponding to the OCS below. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

S304 a. The PGW sends a PRA location change notification request 1 to the MME by using the SGW, so that the MME receives the PRA location change notification request 1, where the PRA location change notification request 1 carries the identity of the PRA set 1 and is used to instruct the MME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set 1 corresponding to the identity of the PRA set 1.

In other words, a function of the PRA location change notification request 1 is to instruct the MME to report location change information of the UE in the PRA when a location of the UE relative to any PRA in the PRA set 1 changes.

It should be noted that a PRA location change notification request that is sent by the PGW to the MME after the PCRF sends the PRA subscription request 1 to the PGW is marked as the PRA location change notification request 1 herein, so that the PRA location change notification request is distinguished from a PRA location change notification request that is sent by the PGW to the MME after the OCS sends a PRA subscription request 2 to the PGW below. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

A manner in which the PGW sends the PRA location change notification request to the MME is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, the location change notification request may be added to an update bearer request message and sent to the MME.

In FIG. 3, steps S302 a to S304 a are performed after the policy control session is established between the PGW and the PCRF. Optionally, steps S302 a to S304 a may alternatively be completed in a process of establishing the policy control session between the PGW and the PCRF. Specifically, the MME sends a create session request to the PGW by using the SGW, to trigger establishment of the policy control session between the PGW and the PCRF. During establishment of the policy control session between the PGW and the PCRF, the PCRF sends a PRA subscription request 1 to the PGW, and the PGW determines PRA subscription information 1 based on the PRA subscription request 1 and stores the PRA subscription information 1. After the policy control session is established, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME by using the SGW, and the create session response carries a PRA location change notification request 1. This case is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Similarly, the OCS may alternatively subscribe with the PGW to a location change event and deliver a PRA location change notification request to the MME in the manner in steps S301 a to S304 a, as described in steps S301 b to S304 b.

S301 b. Establish an online charging session between the PGW and the OCS.

A process of establishing the online charging session between the PGW and the OCS may be as follows.

The MME sends a create session request to the PGW by using the SGW, to trigger establishment of the online charging session between the PGW and the OCS. After the session is established, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME. The process belongs to an existing procedure, and therefore details are not described herein in this embodiment of the present application.

S302 b. The OCS sends a PRA subscription request 2 to the PGW, so that the PGW receives the PRA subscription request 2, where the PRA subscription request 2 carries an identity of a PRA set 2 and is used to request to subscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 2.

It should be noted that a PRA subscription request sent by the OCS to the PGW is marked as the PRA subscription request 2 herein, so that the PRA subscription request is distinguished from the foregoing PRA subscription request sent by the PCRF to the PGW. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

It should be noted that a PRA set in the OCS is marked as the PRA set 2 herein, so that the PRA set is distinguished from the foregoing PRA set in the PCRF. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

S303 b. The PGW determines PRA subscription information 2 based on the PRA subscription request 2 and stores the PRA subscription information 2, where the PRA subscription information 2 includes the identity of the PRA set 2 and an identity of the OCS.

The OCS is a subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 2.

It should be noted that subscription information corresponding to the OCS is marked as the PRA subscription information 2 herein, so that the subscription information is distinguished from the foregoing subscription information corresponding to the PCRF. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

S304 b. The PGW sends a PRA location change notification request 2 to the MME by using the SGW, so that the MME receives the PRA location change notification request 2, where the PRA location change notification request 2 carries the identity of the PRA set 2 and is used to instruct the MME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set 2 corresponding to the identity of the PRA set 2.

In other words, a function of the PRA location change notification request 2 is to instruct the MME to report location change information of the UE in the PRA when a location of the UE relative to any PRA in the PRA set 2 changes.

It should be noted that a PRA location change notification request that is sent by the PGW to the MME after the OCS sends the PRA subscription request 2 to the PGW is marked as the PRA location change notification request 2 herein, so that the PRA location change notification request is distinguished from the foregoing PRA location change notification request that is sent by the PGW to the MME after the PCRF sends the PRA subscription request 1 to the PGW. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

A manner in which the PGW sends the PRA location change notification request to the MME is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. For example, the location change notification request may be added to an update bearer request (update bearer request) message and sent to the MME.

In FIG. 3, steps S302 b to S304 b are performed after the online charging session is established between the PGW and the OCS. Optionally, steps S302 b to S304 b may alternatively be completed in a process of establishing the online charging session between the PGW and the PCRF. Specifically, the MME sends a create session request to the PGW by using the SGW, to trigger establishment of the online charging session between the PGW and the PCRF. During establishment of the online charging session between the PGW and the PCRF, the PCRF sends a PRA subscription request 2 to the PGW, and the PGW determines PRA subscription information 2 based on the PRA subscription request 2 and stores the PRA subscription information 2. After the online charging session is established, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME by using the SGW, and the create session response carries a PRA location change notification request 2. This case is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that there is no necessary performing order between steps S301 a to S304 a and steps S301 b to S304 b. Steps S301 a to S304 a may be performed before steps S301 b to S304 b are performed. Alternatively, steps S301 b to S304 b may be performed before steps S301 a to S304 a are performed. Alternatively, steps S301 a to S304 a may be performed simultaneously with steps S301 b to S304 b. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. When steps S301 a to S304 a are performed simultaneously with steps S301 b to S304 b, the PRA location change notification request 1 in step S304 a and the PRA location change notification request 2 in step S304 b may be added to a same update bearer request message and sent to the MME. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present application, to reuse an existing interface as much as possible, an original PRA identity naming manner is reused for the identity of the PRA set. In other words, a naming manner of the identity of the PRA set is the same as the existing PRA identity naming manner. Therefore, in steps S303 a and S303 b, after the PGW obtains the identity of the PRA set 1 and the identity of the PRA set 2, the PGW cannot identify whether the identities are identities of PRA sets or identities of PRAs, and therefore cannot know whether a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set or a location change event of the UE in a specific PRA is subscribed to. For the PCRF or the OCS, because the PRA subscription request sent by the PCRF or the OCS to the PGW carries the identity of the PRA set, and in other words, the PCRF or the OCS subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, the PCRF or the OCS may be considered as a subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set. For example, in step S303 a, the PCRF is a subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 1, and in step S303 b, the OCS is a subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 2. The foregoing explanation is applicable to all the following embodiments. This explanation is provided herein and details are not described again below.

It should be noted that this embodiment of the present application is described by using an example in which both the PCRF and the OCS subscribe with the PGW to a location change event, and certainly, it is possible that only the PCRF subscribes with the PGW to a location change event or only the OCS subscribes with the PGW to a location change event. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

After both the PCRF and the OCS subscribe with the PGW to the location change event, PRA subscription information of the UE that is stored in the PGW may be shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 PRA subscription Identity of a subscrip- information Identity of a PRA set tion entity PRA subscription Identity of a PRA set 1 Identity of a PCRF information 1 PRA subscription Identity of a PRA set 2 Identity of an OCS information 2 . . . . . . . . .

After the MME receives the PRA location change notification request sent by the PGW by using the SGW, the method further includes the following steps S305 to S308.

S305. The MME determines whether PRA location change reporting needs to be performed.

Specifically, when a location of the UE changes, the MME detects whether a location of the UE in a PRA changes. If the location changes, the MME determines that PRA location change reporting needs to be performed. If the location does not change, the MME determines that PRA location change reporting does not need to be performed.

S306. If the MME determines that PRA location change reporting needs to be performed, the MME sends, to the PGW by using the SGW, location change information in a PRA, an identity of the PRA, and an identity of a PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs, so that the PGW receives the location change information in the PRA, the identity of the PRA, and the identity of the PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs, where the location change information of the UE in the PRA includes information about entering or leaving the PRA by the UE.

Specifically, a correspondence between an identity of a PRA set and identities of all PRAs in the PRA set is preconfigured in the MME. When determining that the location of the UE in the PRA changes, the MME may determine, based on the correspondence, an identity of a PRA set to which the PRA belongs and further send, to the PGW, location change information of the UE in the PRA, an identity of the PRA, and the identity of the PRA set.

For example, if the PRA set 1 includes a PRA 1, a PRA 2, and a PRA 3, and the PRA set 2 includes a PRA 4, a PRA 5, and a PRA 6, a correspondence shown in Table 2 may be configured in the MME.

TABLE 2 Identity of a PRA set Identity of a PRA Identity of a PRA set 1 Identity of a PRA 1 Identity of a PRA 2 Identity of a PRA 3 Identity of a PRA set 2 Identity of a PRA 4 Identity of a PRA 5 Identity of a PRA 6 . . . . . .

If a location of the UE in the PRA 2 changes, for example, the UE leaves the PRA 2, the MME may determine, based on the preconfigured correspondence shown in Table 2, that an identity of a PRA set to which the PRA 2 belongs is the identity of the PRA set 1 and further send, to the PGW, location change information of the UE in the PRA 2, the identity of the PRA 2, and the identity of the PRA set 1.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present application, a correspondence between an identity of one or more PRA sets and identities of all PRAs in the PRA set(s) is preconfigured not only in the MME but also in the PCRF and the OCS for the PCRF and the OCS to subscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA of a specific PRA set. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

In addition, the correspondence between the identity of the PRA set and the identities of all the PRAs in the PRA set is not configured in the PGW. This is also a key factor that causes an existing problem that a session management function entity cannot decide how to report a location change event in a PRA to a subscription entity because the location change event in the PRA that is reported by a MME carries only an identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRA set is used to subscribe to the location change event in the PRA in a multi-PRA scenario.

S307. The PGW determines, based on the identity of the PRA set that is sent by the MME and the stored PRA subscription information, a subscription entity that subscribes to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set.

As described in step S303 a or step S303 b, the PRA subscription information includes the identity of the PRA set and an identity of the subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set.

In the example of step S306, if the location of the UE in the PRA 2 changes, after receiving the location change information of the UE in the PRA 2, the identity of the PRA 2, and the identity of the PRA set 1, the PGW may determine, based on the identity of the PRA set 1 and the stored subscription information shown in Table 1, that a subscription entity that subscribes to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 1 is the PCRF.

S308. The PGW sends, to the subscription entity determined in step S307, the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA that are sent by the MME, so that the subscription entity receives the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA.

For example, in the example of step S307, the PGW sends, to the PCRF, the identity of the PRA 2 and the location change information of the UE in the PRA 2, so that the PCRF receives the identity of the PRA 2 and the location change information of the UE in the PRA 2, as shown in FIG. 3. Further, the PCRF may send new policy information to the PGW, and the PGW sends location change acknowledgement information to the MME by using the SGW. This is not described in detail in this embodiment of the present application. For details, refer to an existing procedure.

It should be noted that FIG. 3 is merely illustrated by using an example in which the determined subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set is the PCRF. Certainly, the determined subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set may alternatively be the OCS, and then, the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA are sent to the OCS. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that for simplicity, steps S305 to S308 and related examples are described by using an example in which the MME reports a location change event in one PRA. Certainly, the MME may alternatively report location change events in a plurality of PRAs. For example, in the foregoing example, if the UE leaves the PRA 2 and enters the PRA 4, the MME may report location change events in the two PRAs. Related information of a location change event in one PRA includes location change information in the PRA that indicates that the UE leaves the PRA 2, the identity of the PRA 2, and the identity of the PRA set 1. Related information of a location change event in another PRA includes location change information in the PRA that indicates that the UE enters the PRA 4, the identity of the PRA 4, and the identity of the PRA set 2. A quantity of PRAs in which location change events are reported by the MME is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. When the MME reports location change events in a plurality of PRAs, for a processing procedure of a location change event of any PRA, refer to steps S305 to S308. Details are not described herein again in this embodiment of the present application.

In conclusion, based on the location change reporting method provided in this embodiment of the present application, the MME sends, to the session management function entity, the location change information in the PRA, the identity of the PRA, the identity of the PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs, so that the session management function entity can determine, based on the identity of the PRA set, the subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, and further can send the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA to the subscription entity. This can resolve an existing problem that a session management function entity cannot decide how to report a location change event of UE in a PRA to a subscription entity because the location change event of the UE in the PRA that is reported by a MME carries only an identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRA set is used to subscribe to the location change event of the UE in the PRA in a multi-PRA scenario.

Actions of the PGW in steps S301 a, S303 a, S304 a, S301 b, S303 b, S304 b, S307, and S308 may be performed by the processor 201 in the computer device 200 shown in FIG. 2 by invoking the application program code stored in the memory 203. This is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is described by using an example in which the PGW and the SGW are deployed on different devices. Certainly, the PGW and the SGW may alternatively be integrated, and in other words, the PGW and the SGW are deployed on a same device. This case is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

The foregoing mainly describes the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application from a perspective of interaction between network elements. It can be understood that, to implement the foregoing functions, the foregoing session management function entity includes corresponding hardware structures and/or software modules for performing the functions. A person of ordinary skill in the art should be easily aware that units and algorithm steps in the examples described with reference to the embodiments disclosed in this specification may be implemented by hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is performed by hardware or hardware driven by computer software depends on particular applications and design constraints of the technical solutions. A person skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each particular application, but it should not be considered that the implementation goes beyond the scope of the present application.

In the embodiments of the present application, the session management function entity may be divided into function modules based on the foregoing method examples. For example, each function module may be obtained through division based on each corresponding function, or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module may be implemented in a form of hardware, or may be implemented in a form of a software function module. It should be noted that the module division in the embodiments of the present application is an example, and is merely logical function division. There may be another division manner in an actual implementation.

For example, when each function module is obtained through division based on each corresponding function, FIG. 4 is a possible schematic structural diagram of the session management function entity in the foregoing embodiment. The session management function entity 400 includes a receiving module 401, a determining module 402, and a sending module 403.

The receiving module 401 is configured to receive location change information of UE in a PRA, an identity of the PRA, and an identity of a PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs that are sent by an MIME, where the location change information of the UE in the PRA includes information about entering or leaving the PRA by the UE.

The determining module 402 is configured to determine, based on the identity of the PRA set and stored PRA subscription information, a subscription entity that subscribes to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, where the PRA subscription information includes the identity of the PRA set and an identity of the subscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set.

The sending module 403 is configured to send the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE in the PRA to the subscription entity.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the session management function entity further includes a storage module 404.

The receiving module 401 is further configured to receive a PRA subscription request sent by the subscription entity, where the PRA subscription request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used to request to subscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set corresponding to the identity of the PRA set.

The determining module is further configured to determine the PRA subscription information based on the PRA subscription request.

The storage module 404 is configured to store the PRA subscription information.

The sending module 403 is configured to send a PRA location change notification request to the MME, where the PRA location change notification request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used to instruct the MME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set corresponding to the identity of the PRA set.

Optionally, the subscription entity may include a PCRF entity or an OCS entity.

Optionally, the MME may include an MME, an SGSN, or an MMF.

Optionally, the session management function entity may include a PGW or an SMF.

All related content of the steps in the foregoing method embodiment may be cited in function descriptions of corresponding function modules. Details are not described herein again.

When each function module is obtained through integration, FIG. 5 is a possible schematic structural diagram of the session management function entity in the foregoing embodiment. The session management function entity 500 includes a processing module 501, a communications module 502, and a storage module 503. The processing module 501 may be configured to perform an operation that can be performed by the determining module 402 in FIG. 4. The communications module 502 may be configured to perform operations that can be performed by the receiving module 401 and the sending module 403 in FIG. 4. The storage module 503 may be configured to perform an operation that can be performed by the storage module 404 in FIG. 4. For details, refer to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. Details are not described herein again in this embodiment of the present application.

All related content of the steps in the foregoing method embodiment may be cited in function descriptions of corresponding function modules. Details are not described herein again.

In this embodiment, the session management function entity is presented by obtaining each function module through division based on each corresponding function, or the session management function entity is presented by obtaining each function module through division in an integrated manner. The “module” herein may be an ASIC, a circuit, a processor and a memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and/or another component that can provide the foregoing functions. In a simple embodiment, a person skilled in the art may figure out that the form shown in FIG. 2 may be used for the session management function entity 400 or the session management function entity 500. For example, the receiving module 401, the determining module 402, the sending module 403, and the storage module 404 in FIG. 4 may be implemented by the processor 201 and the memory 203 in FIG. 2. Specifically, the receiving module 401, the determining module 402, the sending module 403, and the storage module 404 may be implemented by invoking, by the processor 201, the application program code stored in the memory 203. This is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Alternatively, for example, the processing module 501, the communications module 502, and the storage module 503 in FIG. 5 may be implemented by the processor 201 and the memory 203 in FIG. 2. Specifically, the processing module 501, the communications module 502, and the storage module 503 may be implemented by invoking, by the processor 201, the application program code stored in the memory 203. This is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer storage medium. The computer storage medium is configured to store a computer software instruction used by the foregoing session management function entity. The computer software instruction includes a program designed for executing the method embodiment. Location change reporting can be implemented by executing the stored program.

Although the present application is described with reference to the embodiments, in a process of implementing the present application that claims protection, a person skilled in the art may understand and implement another variation of the disclosed embodiments by viewing the accompanying drawings, disclosed content, and the accompanying claims. In the claims, “comprising” does not exclude another component or another step, and “a” or “one” does not exclude a case of plurality. A single processor or another unit may implement several functions enumerated in the claims. Some measures are described in dependent claims that are different from each other, but this does not indicate that these measures cannot be combined to produce a good effect.

A person skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as a method, an apparatus (device), or a computer program product. Therefore, the present application may use a form of hardware only embodiments, software only embodiments, or embodiments with a combination of software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may use a form of a computer program product that is implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to a magnetic disk memory, a CD-ROM, an optical memory, and the like) that include computer-usable program code. The computer program is stored/distributed in a proper medium and is provided as or used as a part of hardware together with other hardware, or may be distributed in another form, such as in the Internet or in another wired or wireless telecommunications system.

The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and/or block diagrams of the method, the apparatus (device), and the computer program product according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that computer program instructions may be used to implement each process and/or each block in the flowcharts and/or the block diagrams and a combination of a process and/or a block in the flowcharts and/or the block diagrams. These computer program instructions may be provided for a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, an embedded processor, or a processor of another programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the computer or the processor of another programmable data processing device generate an apparatus for implementing a specified function in one or more processes in the flowcharts and/or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may alternatively be stored in a computer readable memory that can instruct a computer or another programmable data processing device to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory generate an artifact that includes an instruction apparatus. The instruction apparatus implements a specified function in one or more processes in the flowcharts and/or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may alternatively be loaded onto a computer or another programmable data processing device, so that a series of operations and steps are performed on the computer or another programmable device, thereby generating computer-implemented processing. Therefore, the instructions executed on the computer or another programmable device provide steps for implementing a specified function in one or more processes in the flowcharts and/or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

Although the present application is described with reference to specific features and the embodiments thereof, apparently, various modifications and combinations may be made to them without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Correspondingly, the specification and accompanying drawings are merely example descriptions of the present application defined by the appended claims, and are considered as covering any of or all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Apparently, a person skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. The present application is intended to cover these modifications and variations of the present application provided that these modifications and variations fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present application and equivalent technologies thereof 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for reporting location changes of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, by a first entity from a second entity, a first request comprising a first identifier of a presence reporting area (PRA) set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality of PRAs, and wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE entering or leaving each PRA in the PRA set; sending, by the first entity to a third entity, a second request for reporting a PRA location change, wherein the second request comprises the first identifier; receiving, by the third entity, the second request from the first entity; sending, by the third entity to the first entity, location change information of the UE in a first PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location change information of the UE comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA; receiving, by the first entity, the location change information, the second identifier, and the first identifier; and sending, by the first entity, the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE entering each of the PRAs.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE leaving each of the PRAs.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location change information comprises information regarding the UE entering the first PRA.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location change information comprises information regarding the UE leaving the first PRA.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the first entity, the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity according to subscription information comprising a correspondence between the first identifier and a third identifier of the second entity.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing, by the first entity, the subscription information in a local storage of the first entity.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the third entity in response to a location of the UE in the first PRA changing, the first identifier based on a preconfigured correspondence between an identity of the PRA set and a plurality of identities of the PRAs.
 9. A system for reporting location changes of a user equipment (UE), the system comprising: a first entity configured to: receive, from a second entity, a first request comprising a first identifier of a presence reporting area (PRA) set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality of PRAs, and wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE entering or leaving each PRA in the PRA set; and send a second request for reporting a PRA location change, wherein the second request comprises the first identifier and indicates to perform PRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves a PRA in the PRA set; and a third entity coupled to the first entity and configured to: receive the second request from the first entity; and send, to the first entity, location change information of the UE in a first PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the first PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location change information comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA, wherein the first entity is further configured to: receive the location change information, the second identifier, and the first identifier; and send the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE entering each PRA in the PRA set.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE leaving each PRA in the PRA set.
 12. The system of claim 9, further comprising the second entity, wherein the second entity is coupled to the first entity and configured to send, to the first entity, the first request.
 13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first entity is further configured to send the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity according to subscription information comprising a correspondence between the first identifier and a third identifier of the first entity.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first entity is further configured to store the subscription information in a local storage of the first entity.
 15. The system of claim 9, further comprising the second entity, wherein the second entity is configured to: determine a location of the UE in the PRAs changes; and determine, in response to the location of the UE changing, the first identifier based on a preconfigured correspondence between an identity of the PRA set and a plurality of identities of the PRAs.
 16. A first entity comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first entity to be configured to: receive, from a second entity, a first request comprising a first identifier of a presence reporting area (PRA) set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality of PRAs, and wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of a user equipment (UE) entering or leaving each of the PRAs; send, to a third entity, a second request for reporting a PRA location change, wherein the second request comprises the first identifier; receive, from the third entity, location change information of the UE in a first PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the first PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location change information comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA; and send the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity.
 17. The first entity of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the first entity to be configured to send the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity according to subscription information comprising a correspondence between the first identifier and a third identifier of the second entity.
 18. The first entity of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the first entity to be configured to store the subscription information in a local storage of the first entity.
 19. A third entity comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the third entity to be configured to: receive, from a second entity, a first request for reporting a presence reporting area (PRA) location change, wherein the first request comprises a first identifier of a PRA set comprising a plurality of PRAs, and wherein the first request requests to perform PRA location change reporting when a user equipment (UE) enters or leaves a PRA in the PRA set; and send, to the second entity in response to a location of the UE changing, location change information of the UE in a first PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the first PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location change information comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA.
 20. The third entity of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the third entity to be configured to determine, in response to the location of the UE changing, the first identifier based on a preconfigured correspondence between an identity of the PRA set and a plurality of identities of the PRAs.
 21. A method for reporting location changes of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, by a first entity from a second entity, a first request comprising a first identifier of a presence reporting area (PRA) set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality of PRAs, and wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UE entering or leaving each PRA in the PRA set; sending, by the first entity to a third entity, a second request for reporting a PRA location change, wherein the second request comprises the first identifier; receiving, by the first entity from the third entity, location change information of the UE in a first PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location change information of the UE comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA; and sending, by the first entity, the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising sending, by the first entity, the second identifier and the location change information to the second entity according to subscription information comprising a correspondence between the first identifier and a third identifier of the second entity.
 23. A method for reporting location changes of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, by a third entity from a second entity, a first request for reporting a presence reporting area (PRA) location change, wherein the first request comprises a first identifier of a PRA set comprising a plurality of PRAs, and wherein the first request requests to perform PRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves a PRA in the PRA set; and sending, by the third entity to the second entity in response to a location of the UE changing, location change information of the UE in a first PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the first PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location change information comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA.
 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining, by the third entity in response to the location of the UE changing, the first identifier based on a preconfigured correspondence between an identity of the PRA set and a plurality of identities of the PRAs. 